Do You Mock Others?

Never mock anyone, but humble yourself before God and see the worth of all men.

Mockery is a sin that we are all guilty of, possibly even in the past week. Whether out of someone’s earshot or straight to their face, we mock when we point out someone’s insecurities in order to deliberately cause them pain. The prevalence of this evil behavior is due to the fact that we can be led into it in a variety of ways:

First, we mock others because we wish to establish superiority over them. We are gods in our own eyes, and because of this, we will resort to any means necessary to receive the worship we think we deserve. Because of this, we actively belittle certain people both to merit the esteem of others and to validate our inflated sense of self-worth. Despite our intents, however, our actions only destroy our reputation.

Second, we mock others because we hold a personal grudge against them and want to hurt them in a hateful act of revenge. However, as a flame cannot be extinguished with fuel, hatred can never be satisfied by hateful acts. Mockery can never satisfy a vengeful heart as only reconciliation and forgiveness can.

Third, we mock others because we foolishly make light of the reality of hidden pain. Often, we say hurtful things for comedic value, either because we want to be seen as humorous or because we assume that they will find our mockery as amusing as we do. When we mock others in a moment of thoughtless levity, however, we risk hurting them by piercing straight to their deepest vulnerabilities with our unsheathed tongues (Pro 14:13; Jas 3:6-10).

As Christians, mockery tarnishes the name of Christ because in it we utterly fail to represent His love. If you find yourself mocking others, then examine your heart: If you find there a spirit of self-worship, then look to Christ, who humbled Himself to save your soul, and do the same for others. If you find in your heart a spirit of vengeance, then remember how you have been forgiven of even greater sins and reconcile with your enemies. If you discover that you are careless toward others, then see what great care God has for you, and give Him thanks by being a friend to the friendless!